


Partners

by FalalalaLa



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, F/M, One Shot, Refleckdoll spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-04
Updated: 2019-09-04
Packaged: 2020-10-06 22:30:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,978
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20514545
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FalalalaLa/pseuds/FalalalaLa
Summary: After finishing one of the hardest fights she's ever had to face, Ladybug has to again stop the akumatized victim once he changed back, someone who suddenly deemed himself unworthy of his Miraculous - Chat Noir.Slight spoilers from Refleckdoll.





	Partners

**Author's Note:**

> It has been (checks account) 6 years since I last posted anything, so please excuse me if anything is off or if there are sentences that don't flow correctly. It's been a while since I'd written anything! As in the summary, some slight spoilers from Refleckdoll if you have not seen it yet. This was written kind of in response to what I wanted to see happen but will have to wait and see if it comes in a later episode. Also, romance if you squint? I only included one tag as I figured that was enough.

The usual Paris twilight sky was colored red as the magical ladybugs flew through the city to undo what had been done. Cracks in the road were patched and buildings immediately fixed when the bugs flew over. Another day, another akuma.

Or so Ladybug initially thought, landing on top of a nearby tower, safe and far from the prying eyes of the world below. To say it was easy was an understatement. There were times when the akumatized villains only mildly bothered her. Annoying and simple to get out of the way, while others caused a lot of damage and got close to snatching her earrings away. Today was the latter, but the hardest part wasn't the fact that she barely made it out on top this time or that she had just finished a battle with an amok. It was the fact that the victim wasn’t just anyone this time.

Chat Noir joined her in her hiding spot, vaulting over with his baton. There was no motion of his arm lifting up with their typical fist bump, no flirty remark, no movement at all. He was one to usually make the first comment, a statement or joke about how the day went. Ladybug couldn’t blame him for being silent. There must be enough going on in his head when _he _was the akumatized victim. 

Seeing her partner, her friend in all white, destroying everything he touched in sight was awful. Fighting him was the worst thing she had to do, especially when talking didn't work. Ladybug had tried to joke, tried to talk about their friendship, what they’ve accomplished together for the sake of Paris, and nothing had done the job. It took help from Rena Rouge and Carapace to stall him while her Lucky Charm caught him off guard enough to break the bell on his costume. 

Whatever had akumatized him to begin with must have been because of something horrible. It took a lot to take down Chat Noir, the person who always gave her hope and would do anything to stop Hawk Moth. For something to upset him so much must have been a breaking point, an all-time low moment that Hawk Month was able to monetize on. It was the one thing that Ladybug wanted to ask, to pry and find out what went wrong to help him, but they couldn’t risk letting any information about their lives be known. No matter how much-

His movements caught her eye, silencing her thoughts as she turned to her left to look at him. Chat’s fingers were wrapped around his ring, slowly tugging it off. 

_He was taking off his ring!_

Acting fast, Ladybug rushed over to grab his wrist, holding onto his shoulder as he tried to fight her. “What on _Earth_ are you doing, Chat Noir?!”

“You gotta let me do this, Ladybug! You can’t trust me with the Miraculous anymore!” He yelled, tugging against her with all his strength. She didn’t stop, clenching onto him with everything she had as he trembled. “Not after what happened today! Not after all I’ve done!”

"Chat, you can’t do this! I understand where you’re coming from, you don’t have to feel ashamed or feel like you need to give up your Miraculous!” She thought back to the times where an akuma had almost gotten her, only stopping because she remained positive. It’s difficult to be happy and avoid a possessed butterfly when the only thing you want to do is stay in your bubble of sadness or anger. “This can happen to anyone! This is why we’re a team! To stop this! To stop Hawk Moth, _together!_”

He struggled, slipping his foot underneath hers as she dropped to the floor. Not wasting a moment, she had tripped him, rolling over him once he hit the ground. Ladybug grabbed his wrists, her legs wrapped around his like a barricade. His Miraculous ring was still on his finger. 

“It doesn’t matter! You can always catch the akuma, get a Lucky Charm, and fix everything! There’s no point in having me around!!” Chat yelled, trying to free himself from her. “We’ve swapped our Miraculous before and having the cat Miraculous, having _me_ around, is only going to stop you from getting Hawk Moth! What good is a partner that falls for the villain’s trap?!” 

Ladybug clenched her teeth, her steady hold slowly losing grip. She could feel her strength waning. It was too much, exhausted with all that happened today. Looking down at Chat she noticed something for the first time – his tears. Her lips trembled, not fighting what she felt coming.

“I NEED YOU!” Ladybug cried, feeling her own tears falling now. It was then that Chat Noir stopped fighting her, staring at her with wide eyes. Neither made a move, the only sound coming from Ladybug’s earrings, alerting them both that she did not have much time left. And yet, Ladybug did not care that she only had a few minutes. Her partner was abandoning her. Leaving her, and truly believing she didn’t need him. How could he not see how much he means to her? How important he is?

Ladybug couldn’t see clearly as Chat slowly pushed and grabbed her wrists, forcing them both up into a sitting position. “Why?” He softly asked, hands still on hers. She made no effort to move them. 

“You don’t understand. You’re just as important as I am in fighting against the akumas.“

“All I do is destroy things and get in your way.” His voice was barely above a whisper, looking anywhere at her. “I’m useless.”

She removed one of her hands from his, quickly wiping her tears with her arm as she grabbed his face to look at him better. With her other hand she intertwined their fingers. “You are _not_ useless. Yes, I’m the only one who can purify the akumas and clean the city. I’m the only one who can use the Lucky Charm. You know from experience that it’s stressful enough to be in my shoes. I can’t relax. I can’t _afford_ to relax as Ladybug because I have to get the akuma and succeed, no matter what.”

A smile appeared on her face, looking into his dispiriting eyes. “But I can’t succeed _alone_. I take time to think of how to use my Lucky Charm, I come up with risky plans when I’m by myself, I get cocky at times when I think something’s going my way and get upset when it doesn’t work. There are times where the akuma is in an object that even my Lucky Charm can't get to or is in something that's difficult to break. I need someone to bring me down, someone to lighten the situation up, someone to help give me time to think of a crazy and convoluted plan to make things work with a gift from tiny, magical ladybugs.”

Chat’s mouth twitches at the last statement, a ghost of a smile trying to fight its way to his face. “I’ve told you many times, Kitty.” She says. “You’re irreplaceable. And I mean it. _No one_ can take your position. I should have listened to you earlier, before the akuma got you. I was too absorbed in not messing up against the amok that I left you. I’m sorry. You didn’t deserve that from me. I should have been there for you.” 

He looked at her, shocked. “It’s not your fault. We had a job to do and I wanted to bring up something stupid.”

“It’s not stupid. I should have listened to you.” She repeated. “If I had, then… then…”

Chat Noir gave a low chuckle. He said despairingly, “I got myself in this mess, it wasn’t because of you. _I_ got myself akumatized. I was the one who made one of the worst mistakes of my life… I hurt you.”

Another beep passes between them. Ladybug moves her hand from his face to his hand again, bringing them both up together to stand. “So you screwed up, not like I haven’t done that before.” She softly laughs. “People mess up. It’s a thing we do every once in a while not because we want to, but because we can’t control everything that happens in our lives. Things reached a breaking point for you and you weren’t able to stop it. I understand, Chat Noir. No matter what any else says, I understand and believe in you.”

She brings their hands together. “We’re two sides of the same coin. Even if there was a new Chat Noir, he wouldn’t be you.” For a moment, it looked as though that resonated with Chat, as he looked shocked hearing her words. Closing his eyes for a brief moment, he opened them back up with his usual smile. Ladybug would give anything to keep that smile on his face. He was a very important and dear person to her. 

Glancing at her earrings, he says, “You don’t have much time left, m’lady.”

“I’m not leaving until I know you’re okay and _not_ going to give up your Miraculous.”

Again, his eyes widen, surprised. “Hearing you say that, and everything else, really makes me happy, Ladybug. I’m sorry I got akumatized, there was just… a lot going on at home that you probably don’t want to hear for identities sake. It’s wasn’t worth getting akumatized-“ 

“If it happened to you, the strong and humorous Chat Noir, I know it was worth it.” She said wistfully, rubbing the back of his knuckles.

“It was something enough for Hawk Moth to feed off of from you. Any other person it could be anything big or small, but I know you and I know this wasn’t just “something” that had happened.” One look at his face, how stunned he was at her words… it made her think it had been a long time since someone had cared about his well being. That someone had asked him how he felt or to talk out his problems with someone. It was that look that made her take a chance, going against what she initially believed in, and speak words that even she herself was astonished with.

“If you want to talk about it Chat, we can meet at the Eiffel Tower in 5 once I recharge? We can sit and talk for a while. About everything.”

If he wasn’t shocked before, he was confounded by now. “But, our identities-“

“We can still _chat_ about things. Just leave out the _purrsonal_ details.” Ladybug grinned, leaning down to kiss his hands before letting go. She heard his faint gasp, standing back up and grabbing her yoyo from her waist. His relaxed body posture, how he held his hand close to his chest, and his tender smile made Ladybug feel content. _This_ was her Chat Noir. Her partner and friend. Her… 

She smiled back at him as he said quietly, “That sounds _purrfect_, m’lady.”

Ladybug took a step towards the end of tower, swinging her yoyo to another building further down. “There’s the Kitty I know and love.” She walked a few more steps forward, ignoring his next question.

“Wait, Love?” He questioned, raising his hand up as though to stop her.

A twist of her wrist had her flying through the air. “5 minutes, Chat Noir!” She shouted, laughing. He had stopped at the edge of the building.

“That’s no fair, Bugaboo!”

“5 minutes!” 

Midair, she slowly looked back at him. Ladybug smiled wide, watching him get his baton out and vaulting himself over to the landmark. The sun had finally set, and she had a feeling they’ll be talking throughout the night. No matter where the conversation goes tonight, no matter what the next day’s battle will bring, she will always and forever be grateful that she was blessed with such a wonderful partner. 


End file.
